Heated shoe tree for drying shoes



Sept. 13, 1949. T. KATCHEL HEATED SHOE TREE FOR DRYING SHQES 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1947 Inventor jyZe 77/1 22 56/2 eZ A ttorneys Sept. 13, 1949.

L. KATCHEL HEATED SHOE TREE FOR DRYING SHOES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 25, 1 947 Inventor- [yZeTzF'aaaeZ A tlo may:

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED. STATES- ea'rsnr OFFICE H ED HO TRE aeense W 1- K i F 95 3 W Application August '25, lsag gs ijal No. 770 470 3 Claims. (014251 394) This invention relates to a dryer for shoes and is p rab .o bein eccnoniis a lr u acture and sold and which is electrically energized for heating the form and so constructed that a minimum of electric current will be employed in the operationthereof and so that a slow. drying of a shoe or other footwear will be accomplished thereby.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the heating element support.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the shoe dryer in its entirety is designated generally 5 and comprises a foot or shoe shaped form, designated generally 6 composed of an inner ply I of tissue paper or the like, an intermediate ply 8 of mesh wire fabric and an outer ply 9 of a quick drying plaster.

In constructing the shoe shaped form 6 the upper portion thereof, including the top [0, sides I I and instep I2 are first constructed by shaping the mesh wire fabric 8 to form these parts and applying tissue paper I to the inner side thereof \after which the quick drying plaster 9 is suitably applied to the external side of the mesh wire fabric and permitted to dry.

An opening E3 is formed in the top I is which is secured an electric plug l4 comprising a body l of electrical insulating material containing a cavity H6 in which are fastened corresponding ends of a pair of prongs I! by fastening IS. The prongs I! extend outwardly through the upper end of the plug body l5 and are adapted to be inserted in a female plug or outlet, not shown,

tr'ica'l "conductors 22 connected to a. source of electric current. The pig M'alsjo refuses, a pair of spring contact 'bersl9' which are disposed in'the cavity [6' a d one "of which is supported by each of the ifaste'n ing's It ahdfth'ieby mounted in electrical iqentaet with the prongs l1, connected thereto. The bot o m'or inner "rid of the plug body I5 is Pro id d "wit sta ed ev n ec vin th hil n s' Oi 'e", i V 'ti. l31 electric P "2| whichbiitend removably therethrou gh into" the ca my. I and one of whichlwhm u idi p d; is engageme withgeaen r the spring 810 j rmiiig electrical connec? ti etween the pron f the plug? l' and the pron s 11. T e i 2 1 s r v ed tl c-f havin Qorresmadi ends connected to the prongstl'i'ereof 'andwhich project from said plug and are connected at their opposite ends to the two electrical contacts of a conventional socket 23 and which are disposed in a flexible tubing 24 between the plug 2| and socket 23.

A heating element support, designated generally 25 is mounted in the afore-mentioned upper portion of the form 6 and includes a frame having an arched shaped upper portion 26 which fits the inner side of said form and in bearing engagement with portion 26 which fits the inner side of said form and in bearing engagement with portions of the instep I2 and sides ll thereof, as best seen in Figure 3 and the ends of which are connected by a substantially straight bottom portion 21, formed integral therewith. The side portions of the arch 26 each have a bracket 28 fastened to the inner side thereof and extending inwardly with respect to the frame of the holder 25. Each of the brackets 28 is formed of sections the inner ends of which are flared outwardly and bowed to form the spring clamping jaws 29 adapted to detachably and resiliently engage an elongated heating element 30 which, in the embodiment of the invention as disclosed, is an elongated electric bulb having a threaded plug 3| at one end thereof which is adapted to extend toward the heel of the form 6 and to be screw threaded into the socket 23.

After the parts previously described have been assembled in the upper portion of the form 6, the sole or base portion of the form, which likewise comprises an inner ply 1 of tissue paper, an intermediate ply 8 of mesh wire fabric and an outer ply 9 of a quick drying plaster is applied to the open bottom of the upper portion of the form 6 for closing the bottom thereof and for retaining the parts previously described, therewithin. The

a 3 base or sole portion of the form 6 may be assembled in a suitable mold of the proper size and shape and while the quick drying plaster thereof is still in a pliable and soft condition, the open bottom of the upper portion of the form is applied thereto and so that the plaster will form a good bond between the upper and sole portion of the form when it has become set.

The tissue paper I is disposed on the inner sides of the mesh wire fabric 8 to prevent the plaster 9 from seeping therethrough before it has had an opportunity to dry and it is immaterial if the tissue paper is scorched or burned away by the heating element 30 after the plaster has dried.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the drying form may be placed in a shoe or other item of footwear of leather, cloth or other material for drying the footwear after washing or dyeing and which is accomplished by attaching the prongs ll to a conventional electric outlet, not shown, such as a female plug of an electric cord extending from a source of electric current. The heating element 30 is adapted to be operated on conventional house current and. will use a very slight amount of electricity for heating the form 5 only sufiiciently to slowly dry the shoe or footwear, not shown, in which the form is disposed to prevent damage to the material thereof in the drying operation Obviously, other forms of heating elements may be employed and various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obvious 1y, be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

aaleip so I claim as my invention:

1. A shoe dryer comprising a form adapted to fit into a shoe or other item of footwear for substantially filling the same and having a hollow interior, and an electric heating element contained therein and adapted to be connected to a source of electric current, said form comprising an inner ply of tissue paper, an intermediate ply of mesh wire fabric and an outer ply of plaster.

2. A shoe dryer comprising a form adapted to fit into a shoe or other item of footwear for substantially filling the same and having a hollow interior, and an electric heating element contained therein and adapted to be connected to a source of electric current, said form including a reinforcing ply of a foraminous material and an outer ply of a cement or plaster-like material constituting a good conductor of heat.

LYLE T, KATCHEL.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 985,232 Twiss Feb. 28, 1911 1,054,259 Wales Feb. 25, 1913 2,063,370 Dutton Dec. 8, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 287,660 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1928 

